Display carton



July 21, 1942. c. E. FUSSNER 2,290,681

DISPLAY CARTON Filed Dec. 13, 1939 fist-5 VENTOFP. CHESTER E. Fuss/v5? ATTORNEX Patented July 21, 1942 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE DISPLAY CARTON Chester E. Fussner, Cleveland, Ohio Application December 13, 1939, Serial No. 309,010

6 Claims.

This invention relates to display cartons and particularly to the type made of one piece of cardboard or heavy paper and which has a closed hollow cover in which there is carried and displayed samples of the articles in the carton proper.

The primary object of th invention is to provide a container of the type mentioned which can be economically cut or blanked out of a single sheet of inexpensive sanitary material and which may be disposed of when empty without trouble.

Another object of th invention is to provide a display carton with a hollow covered top which is large enough to make an attractive display; which is easy and simple to fill and which preserves the freshness and appearance of the displayed product until the entire contents of the main carton are sold. a

A further object of the invention is to make a container which in its flat or unfolded condition is economical to hip, is space saving and is comparatively easy and simple to assemble and make up for use.

These and other objects and features of the invention will become apparent-from a study of the following description and claims together with the accompanying drawing in which like parts are designated by like reference characters and wherein: I

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a display car-- ton made in accordance with this invention;

Figure 2 is a perspective view of the same shOWing the lid member open;

Figure 3 is a side sectional view of the same taken along the lines 33 of th Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a side view of the same with parts broken away to show the engagement of the lid member with the wall panels;

Figure 5 is a plan view of the paperboard blank from which th box is constructed; and

Figure 6 is a plan view of the cover member used on the lid tray.

Asconducive to a clearer understanding of this invention, it may be Well to point out that in the retail handling of bulk merchandise such as cookies, crackers and similar goods th containers of same do not always present a satisfactory appearance to the trade for the reason that as the containers become emptied from repeated sales, their contents become less visible; and finally the last layers or items are hardly seen at all by the trade the general appearance being that of an empty box. Furthermore, the" lack of light, caused by the shadows usually pres- 55 sembles a large form cross.

ent in th bottom of the box, discourages further sales which otherwise might be made if the box presented a neat, fresh and clean appearance.

In the past, many attempts have been made to overcome this obstacle and among the many devices intended to improve such displays is the applicants invention for which a United States patent was granted October 22, 1935, known as Serial No. 2,017,962 for Display receptacles. This earlier invention, however, related to a metal tray holding device used in connection with caddy or carton covers only and while itv serves its purpose and is highly satisfactory for the more costly metal and glass containers, it is, however, not entirely satisfactory for use with inexpensive paper containers which may be easily destroyed or otherwise disposed of after use. The metal containers, being of relatively expensive material, necessitate constant return to the source of supply for refilling, which service in itself is expensive. The metal containers also, after continued use and repeated refilling, become dilapidated and unsightly. The instant invention, on the other hand, is intended for use with disposable inexpensive paper containers which are used generally for the same purposes.

Referring to the drawing, and particularly to the Figure 5, there is shown a flat sheetof paperboard, blanked and scored, ready to be folded and fastened to make the combined container and lid illustrated in the Figures 1, 2, 3 and 4. The paperboard may be of any conventional board or corrugated paper of which there are many kinds and weights on the market. I v

The receptacle member of the container consists of four wall panels and bottom panels which are folded to form a rectangular box. In the drawings the character 2| indicates the bottom panels; the character-22 indicates the rear panel; the character 23 indicates the front panel; the character 24 indicates the two side panels and the character 25 indicates a tab adjacent to the rear panel 22 which lies on the same plane as the left side panel 24 and facilitates attaching the side panel to the rear panel. This attachment may be any conventional means now known to the art such as by the use of metal clips or glue. The bottom panels are fastened likewise in somewhat the same conventional manner. The fold lines defining the wall panels 22, 23 and 24 are indicated by the character 26.

The lid member as shown is integral with the receptacle portion and in plan appearance re- The lid member,

too, is blanked and scored to facilitate folding and when so folded, it forms a tray which is hingedly connected to the back panel 22 at the scored hinge line 28.

The display tray-like cover consists of the central flat rectangular portion which is also referred to herein as a recessed plate 3|, from each side of which there extends upwardly four inner tray or side walls 32. From the four side walls 32 there extends outwardly and horizontally four sections 33 which form the top of the lid member and which are also referred to herein as brims or brim sections. And. finally, extending downward from the four horizontal sections 33 are the four depending flanges 34 which fit around the outside of the container. The rear flange 34A is adjacent to the rear panel 22 and hinges therewith below the top edges of the other three panels. The horizontal sections 33 rest on the top edge of the front and side panels 23 and 24 and the inner side walls 32 and the horizontal tray base 3| are suspended therebetween. The ascending side walls 32, the horizontal outwardly extending sections or brims 33 and the depending flanges 34 and 34a form an inverted U-shaped channel member in which the front and side wall panels fit. The flanges 34 and 34a are suitably provided with simple tabs 35 which assist in attaching the members together to form the lid tray. The top edges of the three panels 23 and 24 are indicated in the Figure by the character 21 and are also referred to herein as the longitudinal free edge.

When completely folded and fastened, the lid member forms a flat pan-like holder which has a depth of about the height of one of the articles intended to be displayed; and when the tray is properly and attractively filled with one layer of the articles, a transparent cover is placed over and fastened with cement or staples to the horizontal sections 33. This transparent cover consists of a rectangular paper frame 31 of approximately the same size and area of the assembled horizontal sections 33 and in the frame and securely fastened thereto is a sheet of Cellophane or similar material through which the trays contents may be seen. The cover, when attached, helps hold the assembled form of the tray members and keeps the tray contents clean, sanitary and attractive. This transparent cover may contain attractive printing or advertising matter and may also be made in many attractive shapes or configurations; at any rate, it remains intact as a lid member unit until the entire contents of the main receptacle are sold and then it is broken so that its contents may also be reached and sold.

It should be noted that in order to obtain a well fitting display lid member for the receptacle member, the width of a brim section 33 should be equal to the height of a wall section 32 and which latter dimension is determined by the size of the articles to be displayed. Also, the Width of the flange 34a should be equal to the height of the tray wall panels 32 so that the brim sections 33 rest evenly and uniformly on the top longitudinal edge 21.

It will now be clear that there is provided by this invention a display carton which accomplishes the objects set forth. While the invention has been illustrated and described in its preferred form and while certain specific terms and language have been used, it is to be understood that the embodiment of the invention as described is suggestive only and is not to be considered in a limiting sense. It is to be further understood that there may be other forms or adaptations of the invention and those modifications as well as the modifications of the illustrated form are also considered to be within the broad scope of the'invention as no limitations upon it are intended other than those imposed thereon by the breadth of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A one-piece blank foldable to form a display carton, the said blank having spaced parallel fold lines defining a plurality of panels and forming therewith the side walls of a receptacle member when in the folded position, the said blank also having one longitudinal free edge defining the upper edges of all but one of the said panels, the said remaining panel having a blanked portion integrally and hingedly secured thereto, the said blanked portion having spaced fold lines parallel to its free edges defining an inner tray section, a plurality of brim sections and a plurality of depending flanges forming a recessed lid member for the said receptacle member when the said blanked portion is in the folded'and operative position, and the hinge line of the said lid member being spaced below the said longitudinal free edge a distance equal to the width of a depending flange.

2. An article of the class described in claim 1 and further characterized by the said brim sections having a transparent sheet member secured thereto sealing the said inner tray section.

3. A one-piece blank foldable to form a display carton, the said blank having spaced parallel fold lines defining a plurality of panels and forming therewith the side walls of a receptacle member when in the folded position; the said blank also having one longitudinal free edge defining the upper edges of all but one of the said panels; the said remaining panel having a blanked portion integrally and hingedly secured thereto at a scored hinge line, the said blanked portion having spaced fold lines thereon parallel to its free edges defining a plurality of panels and also having corner parts cut away which cooperate With the said panels forming an inner plate, ascending tray walls, extending brims and depending flanges thereby constituting a recessed lid member for the said receptacle member when the said portion is in the folded and operative position; and the aforesaid hinge line of the blanked portion being parallel to and spaced below the said longitudinal free edge a distance equal to the width of a depending flange.

4. An article of the class described in claim 3 and further characterized by the said extending brims having a transparent sheet member secured thereto sealing the said recessed lid memher.

5. A one-piece blank foldable to form a disp ay carton, the said blank having spaced parallel fold lines defining a plurality of panels and forming therewith the side walls of a receptacle member when in the folded position; the said blank also having one longitudinal free edge defining the upper edges of all but one of the said panels; the said remaining panel having a blanked portion integrally and hingedly secured thereto at a scored hinge line; the said blanked portion having spaced fold lines thereon parallel to its free edges defining a plurality of panels and also having corner parts cut away which cooperate with the said panels forming an inner plate, ascending tray walls, extending brims and depending flanges thereby constituting a recessed lid memher for the said receptacle member when the said 6. An article of the class described in claim 5 portion is in the folded and operative position; and further characterized by the said extending the aforesaid hinge line of the blanked portion brims having a transparent sheet member sebeing parallel to and spaced below the said loncured thereto sealing the said recessed lid memgitudinal free edge a distance equal to the width 5 her.

of a depending flange; and the width of the ex- CHESTER E. FUSSNER.

tending brims being equal to the height of the said ascending tray walls. 

